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Pharmacy piles ancient traditions

Jing’an is a potted history of Shanghai. Century-old villas, well-preserved traditional shikumen neighborhoods with high walls and stone gates, and renovated factories all have a story to tell. Glitzy retail malls, charming boutiques and annual music and arts events give the district a distinctive ambience and ever-growing opportunities. In this series, we explore some of the landmarks that have come to characterize the district’s culture and history.To get more Suzhou City, you can visit shine news official website.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a history dating back centuries. So, too, a pharmacy chain in Shanghai that was founded just over 350 years ago.

The flagship store of Leiyunshang, at the corner of Huashan and Yuyuan roads, sells traditional medicines, herbs and other health-care products on the first and second floors.

On the third floor is a clinic that harks back to the pharmacy’s roots. Its décor is in the style of a classical Chinese garden, featuring pillars, corridors, carved beams, wooden ornaments and antique furniture. The atmosphere is designed to give customers a deeper understanding of the culture of traditional Chinese medicine.

“It made me feel I was stopping back in time,” said a woman surnamed Wu in her 60s.

She was among 50 senior citizens on a tour of the clinic earlier this month as part of the Chongyang Festival, a lunar holiday that honors the elderly.

In addition to the tour, nearly 400 seniors received free medical consultations on the festival day, which fell on October 17 this year.

Leiyunshang is one of the top four traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies in Shanghai. However, it actually originated in the city of Suzhou City in neighboring Jiangsu Province.

Archives show that Leiyunshang was initially called Leisongfentang when it was founded in 1662. In 1734, Lei Dasheng, also known as Lei Yunshang, took over the family-owned business. He became a well-known doctor and pharmacist, and people started to call his pharmacy Leiyunshang.

In 1851, the Taiping Rebellion, a farmers’ uprising against the Qing Dynasty, broke out. In 1860, Taiping rebels seized Suzhou, and Lei’s descendants fled to Shanghai.

In 1862, they opened the first store in Shanghai, near the City God Temple. They later expanded the business to other districts.